Sticker shock!

I've been contemplating a new addition -- much like Brangelina but for firearms :D -- and noticed that if I go new, I'll spend at least a grand :eek: When did that happen? New 1911 Colt, HK, SIG, Beretta, Fulton Armory, Springfield et al....
Do they think they will limit gun ownership by making their products so expensive that no one buys anything???

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fletcher

September 5, 2007, 03:34 PM

I find that new guns are like new cars - extremely overpriced. The used market is my best friend. Then again, you can get decent new polymer guns in the $400 range, which isn't bad.

Ala Dan

September 5, 2007, 03:39 PM

Yes sir, my friend-

Unfortunately, I don't see an end to this upward price trend~! Each
manufactuer wants to get "the mostest" [yeah, I know slang term],
for their product. The one's that haven't chosen to join the price hike
wars; most likely will do so in the near future? Lately, I've been able
to lurk in the "used but not abused" market; and found some desirable
pieces to add to my collection. Of course, working in a gunshop has
its rewards~! :scrutiny:;):cool::D

Lucky

September 5, 2007, 03:45 PM

That happened when you banned Norinco, and pretty much every other foreign country producing guns at low costs. Not 'sporting', ya know. (wink wink) If it wasn't for Norinco I'd own 4 guns. As a general rule a Norinco will cost you 30-40% of what you'd pay for another brand, when you're not rich it's a no-brainer.

Ala Dan what I actually see is a trend that is inevitable, that of outsourcing. It is simply not efficient to manufacture in countries that specifically hate manufacturers and industry in general. So you'd be wise to expect all but the most necessary parts of every 'US manufactured' gun to be made in industry-friendly countries very soon.

Want sticker shock, check out the DSR sitting proudly on the table in the middle of the gun store... And realize you can buy a brand new Jeep from a dealership, or a 1/5moa DSR-1, your choice.

338 Lapua Magnum. This is the first Tactical version of the rifle to reach Canada. New $10,999 Bipod, scope and mount seperate. Currently sold out.

10-Ring

September 5, 2007, 04:25 PM

Brother Dan -- I've have joined the brother of the eternally poor by picking up a part time job at a gun shop :rolleyes: and have discovered that although guns come in on trade, they're not always what I'm in the market for...oh, well, at least I'm getting a break on ammo ;)

strat81

September 5, 2007, 05:08 PM

Uh... there are plenty of very nice, well made, accurate firearms available for well under $1000.

"Oh my god, I need a new car and when I went to the Jaguar dealership everything was so expensive!! So I went next door to the Mercdes dealer and they were just as bad!! I can't believe cars cost so much!!"

CWL

September 5, 2007, 05:20 PM

Supply & demand. Serves you right for choosing high-quality! You can still get pot-metal guns for under $100.

CA costs actually aren't bad compared the the rest of the USA, even though gunmakers have to waste $$ certifying their guns.

308win

September 5, 2007, 05:36 PM

Share some thoughts on what firearms, at what price, and in what condition would be worthwhile adding to collection. Everyone knows about Model 12's and 97's, etc. but what about other less sought after items? And please people, lets not turn this into a 1911 is better than a Glock wrestle.

browningguy

September 5, 2007, 06:04 PM

Ahh, but for less than 1/2 that price a new CZ/XD/Witness Elite Match pistol, none of which are terrible firearms. Heck, you can get a brand new BHP Practical in .40 for $599 at Gander Mountain today. And for rifles how about a Tikka/Savage/CZ/Browning for $400-700.

Expensive guns have always been expensive, and always will be. I think personally we are living in a great time to be buying, I haven't seen any studies on guns in particular but in most consumer goods we seem to be paying less (as a percentage of income) for things now than our parents were in the '50's. I've been buying guns for about 35 years and they seem pretty reasonable for the most part.

Ala Dan

September 5, 2007, 06:37 PM

Well, you know since I'm a big fan of "the snubby class", I have managed
to pick up four Colt D-frames; three 2nd series (1947-1972) Colt Detective
Specials, and a second edition (1973) Colt Agent, all in above 95% N.R.A,
condition. All have 2" barrels, and one of the Detective Specials is factory
nickel and only been test fired six times. Its from 1971, and the other two
blued models are from 1966. Why do I collect the 2nd series Dick Specials?
Simple, 1947 was my birth year. ;) Total cash outlay = $880.28 :)

Also, I have found other snubbys from Smith & Wesson. For instance, a
LNIB (unfired) model 37 for $245.25, a LNIB (unfired) model 442 for $218,
a LNIB model 642 for $218, and a model 66-4 2.5" barrel .357 magnum for
$245.25. Best of all, a Colt M4A3 for $763.00. :D

I just passed up a very minty, 4" barrel S&W model 15-4 .38 Special
"Combat Masterpiece" that I could have gotten for $163.50. :banghead: Oh
yes, all of these prices I quoted are shown with 9% sales tax figuered
in. Needless to say, I work for a wonderful family of owner's~! :)

Att: 10-Ring My Friend-

Welcome to the friendly class of gunshop employees~! You will see very
quickly that you don't know doodley squat about firearms (laughing loudly).

Ethereal

September 5, 2007, 08:20 PM

if I go new, I'll spend at least a grand When did that happen? New 1911 Colt, HK, SIG, Beretta, Fulton Armory, Springfield et al....
It's not their fault you have good taste!
Are we talking handguns or rifles? All these manufacturers price their handguns well below the $1000 mark you mentioned, especially Beretta. Unless you want a SOCOM M1A or a G3 rifle you should have no trouble finding a gun less than $800.

10 Ring Tao

September 5, 2007, 08:34 PM

Buy used, let some other sucker eat the depreciation.

Archer1945

September 5, 2007, 08:57 PM

My favorite gun shop has a number of brand new Kimbers, SAs, Rugers, XDs, S&Ws and Taurus for under $1000. In fact well under. As for why the cost of guns is going up, take a look at the prices of metals these days.

If you want an inexpensive good gun look at the polymer framed ones. Actually they aren't polymer frames but a polymer skin around a metal frame. Most of the metal in a metal frame gun does nothing to add strength, it is just there to fill in between the load-bearing sections.

While the cost of polymer guns has gone up, due to the cost of oil, they are still cheaper to make than an all metal gun because there is less waste in making molded parts than there is in machining a block of steel or aluminum

Rembrandt

September 5, 2007, 08:57 PM

Been yearning for a Wilson Combat Super Grade.......should have bought one when they were a mere $3000. I'd be tickled just to find a used one for that.

Fly320s

September 5, 2007, 09:09 PM

10-Ring,

What are you in the market for?

I have a Springfield Loaded for sale...

BigBlock

September 5, 2007, 09:48 PM

As for why the cost of guns is going up, take a look at the prices of metals these days.

The cost of metal has very little to do with the cost of a gun. Most handguns weigh less than 3lbs, that's only a few bucks worth of steel. Even if the price quadruples, it will hardly effect the manufacturer's bottom line.

(and, BTW, Ruger, Taurus, and a few others make some pretty sweet handguns for under $500. S&W and Colt are simply ripoffs)

VA27

September 5, 2007, 10:32 PM

I've been doing some 'comparison' shopping, actually comparing prices between MSRP 'then' and what that would be in todays dollars. My MSRP figures are from a 1980 Gun Digest. I found this site to figure todays dollars.

I haven't compared those prices to what MSRP is today, but I suspect it is pretty close. Some guns are actually cheaper today than they were then, for example, in 1979 an FN/FAL was priced at $2000. ITD that would be an astounding $5672!

AK's are everywhere now and back then they were unobtainable except in NFA form.

I don't think things are as bad as they look, it just seems that way.

Ohen Cepel

September 5, 2007, 10:50 PM

Beretta's are still mostly under $1k. Lots of 92's out there under $600 so not all is lost:D

I'm not sure the cost comparison is fair since the quality seems to have gone down, the man hours spent on assembly has gone down, polymer has to be cheaper than steel, and lots of the metal parts are not machined as they once were.

gezzer

September 6, 2007, 12:22 AM

Do they think they will limit gun ownership by making their products so expensive that no one buys anything???

Who's "They", the gun makers? I doubt they are trying to limit sales as that is self destructive. (Unless you are a foreign company like Heckler & Koch who wants to sell to governments only)

Not a bash but you are in CA where to sell the handguns your state requires multiple samples and a fee for testing. Guess who pays for that? Many companies decided not to submit to this and that may be the reason you can find nothing affordable to you.

Walkalong

September 6, 2007, 07:57 AM

Just pony up and buy what you want. We all look at prices 10 years ago and say " I wish I had bought it then".

Well, then is now, 10 years from today. :scrutiny:

Are you going to buy it 10 years ago (today) or then (now), 10 years from whatever today has become. I'm confused. :neener:

You get my drift, we can't go back in time, all we can do is get them today, or tommorrow, when they get even more expensive.

I'm sleepy, they called me in at 5:20am. Nothing but money, right. I wonder what I can spend it on this time? Not!! gotta pay off the last two. :banghead: